Episode Transcript
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[00:00:13] Speaker C: The Daily Gazette Company presents the parting Shots podcast. Now here's your host, Daily Gazette sports editor Ken shot.
[00:00:24] Speaker B: Thank you, Scott Geesy, and welcome to the Parting Shots podcast, available wherever you get your podcast. Subscribe today. Thanks for joining me from the Hilton Garden Inn in Troy, New York, where the New York State Hockey hall of Fame induction ceremony has just wrapped up here on a Saturday night. And I got some great interviews on this podcast. Coming up, special edition of the podcast, we'll be talking with Dennis Potfin, four time Stanley cup champion with the New York Islanders, Mike Carusioni, 1980 Olympic gold medalist for the USA hockey team, and team captain Sam Rosen from MSG Networks. And we have Ed Westfall, former New York Boston Bruin, New York Islander, and of course, the broadcaster with the Islanders. And so it'll be a great podcast coming up and we'll talk more with them. So we'll start with Dennis Pipman. In just a few minutes, you're listening to the parting shots podcast.
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[00:01:50] Speaker E: Hi, I'm Rick Marshall from the Daily Gazette's martial arts podcast. In each episode, I interview artists from around the region, from musicians and comedians to dancers, sculptors, even video game designers. After you finish the latest episode of the parting shots podcast podcast, I hope you'll give martial arts a try.
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[00:02:21] Speaker A: Hi, this is four time Stanley cup champion and New York State Hockey hall.
[00:02:26] Speaker F: Of Famer John Tenelli.
[00:02:28] Speaker A: You're listening to the parting shots podcast with Daily Gazette sports editor Ken Shot.
[00:02:35] Speaker E: Welcome back to the podcast. My first interview is with Dennis Potbin, the New York Islanders standout, played for the Islanders from 1973 to 1988, was the first overall pick in the 1973 draft, and he lived up to the building. Played in 1060 games in his career, had 310 goals, 742 assists for 1052 points, a plus minus rating of plus 456. He led the Islanders to four straight Stanley Cups from 1980 to 1983, and they got to another final in 1984 before losing to the Edmonton Oilers. And of course, being a Flyers fan like I am, when Dennis played, I didn't like him, but he was a great player. We talked about his career, and it was a good conversation with Dennis Potfitt. So here's my talk with Dennis Potmandhae.
[00:03:25] Speaker B: Well, Dennis, first of all, thank you for doing this. It's a pleasure to meet you. As I told you before, we did this off of Philadelphia, grew up a Flyers fan, so don't hold that against me.
[00:03:34] Speaker F: No, not at all. You know, those are all great memories, some of them good, some of them bad. Of course, you know, the flyers were, you know, our greatest competitor in the mid seventies, and they had their run of the Stanley Cups. I'm just glad that we got to learn from them a little bit. You got to play with a little finesse, a little toughness, and then we went on for our run. So it was a good decade.
[00:03:56] Speaker B: How much of a thrill does this mean? You're a pro hockey hall of famer, but to be inducted in New York State Hockey hall of Fame, what does that mean to you?
[00:04:02] Speaker F: You know, it's a little more, it's overwhelming, really, because, you know, it's always an honor that you cherish. And whenever something like this comes along, this one being very, very special is a real thrill for me. And I was thinking about it earlier today, and, you know, obviously there's so many people I need to thank, you know, for making all of this happen. So I'm happy to be here and very thankful.
[00:04:27] Speaker B: Teammates Butch Coring, Bobby Nysel, and John Tennelli are also in the hall of Fame. Did they talk to you about this?
[00:04:33] Speaker F: Well, you know, Johnny Tennelli really is one of the reasons why I'm here, you know, because he talked about how great it was when he was inducted and the people involved. So I have to tip my hand.
[00:04:44] Speaker B: To Johnny T. He's a great guy. Got to see a few more times because his sons went to play at Brown courts. Now, one of his sons will be playing here at RPI next year. Get to see him once in a while, and when it comes, he's a great guy. And I've always told him, and I also told you before, that the nice goal was not the offside goal.
[00:05:03] Speaker F: Well, they can debate it all they want, but, you know, there's a couple of goals that were always questioned and, you know, one by Dwayne Sutter as well. But those are the things that happened before. We had video review, and as far as we're concerned, every goal was a good goal.
[00:05:18] Speaker B: Your career at the end, you came there the second year, they came off just a twelve win season. Arbor becomes a coach. It was your second year. You get to the playoffs and you end up beating the Rangers. Three games, series. JP breezy scores that goal, overtime goal, 11 seconds in. Then you play the Penguins and you're down 30 in that series. You come back, end up winning that series. What was that like to be able to do that against the Penguins?
[00:05:42] Speaker F: You know, the pack of the Penguins were the opponent was not the most important. The most important thing is that I think we found ourselves as an organization, as a hockey team. To be able to come back against a team that was pretty dominant back then from such a hold, you know, in a playoff series was quite amazing. And I better give all of the credit to our coach, Al Arbor, who really brought us together after being down three games and instilled the confidence in us that we never even thought would have been there. And that's what made it the fact that game four, we went out there, sure, we had nothing to lose, really, because the expectations were so low. But then again, game five, game six, and then again, game seven, it all started snowballing in our favor.
[00:06:28] Speaker B: And now you get the face of the 7th, defending Stanley cup champion Philadelphia Flyers. And in the first two games, you don't face Bernie Brunt. Bernie gets injured before game one warm ups. When he gets Gary Dornhoff, hit him with a puck above the pad. So Wayne Stevenson's in the net. But Flyers won those two games. Game two is in overtime. And you're down 30 again. And you're thinking, can you do it again? And you almost did it again.
[00:06:51] Speaker F: We almost did it again. And, you know, I don't know if there's a magic formula that you can talk about. All I know is that dressing room just never gave up. And that's the only thing, really, that you can count on is the fact that you're with a bunch of believers. And that's the way we went. We're led by a coach who would not back down, and the team just followed.
[00:07:16] Speaker B: Now, of course, you guys got better over the years, but you couldn't get over that hump. I think the 79 lost to the Rangers. There's also. I remember seeing this camera shot you on the ice just basically exhausted. And just what was it like at that end of that season? What was it like going into the 79 80 season?
[00:07:35] Speaker F: Well, you know what I think the biggest thing is? When you have a coach, an organization that believes in you, there weren't a lot of changes. You know, after losing in 78, 79 in modern day, the coach and GM probably both would have lost their jobs. That wasn't the case. And, you know, we're not, we were not in an age of free agency, so the team very much stayed the same. So all we had to do was believe in ourselves. And it started right for the following season. You know, we didn't have the greatest of all seasons, but we battled through a lot of major injuries. I was out for 36 games in 19, 79, 80. But for some reason that March 1 we got back, we got Butch going in the lineup. Kenny Morrow came and joined us in the lineup. Those were big boosts, but I think overall, we just got tired of losing.
[00:08:30] Speaker B: Yeah, of course, it didn't help that the Flyers got off so such a great start at 35, game on beachfront. So you're basically playing catch up at that point to them. But as you mentioned, the butch scoring trade in Kenmore, how big were those additions and did you think they would have the impact that would lead you to success?
[00:08:45] Speaker F: You know, those of us who played knew Butch goring from LA. We had played against him. I also knew Butch in a different way. My brother John and he were teammates in Springfield when they won the Calder cup in the American League. So there's no doubt that there was a buzz, and that's the right words to use because that's kind of player that Busch scoring was. And of course, you know, the changes just elevate the importance of what the team is trying to do. We were good enough, but somehow we just didn't get over the hump. Those two guys didn't have the emotional damage that we had suffered from having lost the year before. And it just followed suit after that. And of course, they were great players.
[00:09:30] Speaker B: If I could mention about Jean, he played for the Flyers briefly before it was acquired by the Islanders, by Bill Torrey. Maybe he had an idea that he's going to draft you in number one and then play. What was it like? Unfortunately, he passed away a couple years ago. What was it like playing with John?
[00:09:44] Speaker F: Well, you know what, we played together as junior hockey players as well, so John was almost four years older than I am. And we really, the age gap wasn't really that big, you know, because he was such a generous soul. When I was 910, eleven years old, I was a fairly big kid, and my brother, who was three and a half, four years older than me, would say, come on and play with me. So right from the beginning, I credited him with the fact that I played at a high level of competition in hockey, whether it be outside on the pond or, you know, with some of his teammates. And he was always the leader for me. Went into junior hockey, he was there, went into the NHL. He was with the Islanders. What a great beginning for a young player.
[00:10:29] Speaker B: And of course, you got a chance to win the Stanley cup there with him in 1981.
[00:10:33] Speaker F: Yeah.
[00:10:35] Speaker B: When you won the company 80 on the nice goal. What was the elation like that Saturday afternoon there in Uniondale?
[00:10:43] Speaker F: You know, it's a great question because I heard one of my teammates talk about the very same thing, and we were sitting on the bench with Bobby Nystrom, scored the goal, and I know I had my head on the boards. I was so exhausted. Here we were in overtime and we're playing, obviously a very tough Philadelphia flyer team, and I hear the roar and I look up and I see Bobby with his arms up. I actually missed the goal. So of course, you know, I've seen it a thousand times on replay, but it was so demanding for us. We were so close, but it's hard to keep that faith. I was just worried about my very next shift, whether I'd be able to have the strength to carry it through.
[00:11:29] Speaker B: Did you? Of course. You won three straight after that, and it got to another final in 80 84.
[00:11:35] Speaker C: There.
[00:11:36] Speaker B: What was that like to be able to refuel? How much did that really mean to you guys to be able to dominate.
[00:11:42] Speaker F: The way you did again? You know, I give so much credit to our coaching staff and Al Arbor being the leader. He wouldn't let us back down when we finally, you know, lost to the Edmonton Orleans in 1994 or 84. Sorry. You know, they were just a better team at that point. We had beaten them the year before. We were getting into our mid thirties. They were in their middle twenties. It was just time and they deserved it. And it was a great run for five years for us.
[00:12:13] Speaker B: That was when I was doing some research. You did, you missed the Easter night game, 87 against capitals, right? Were you in, were you in the building that day? What was that like?
[00:12:23] Speaker F: I was actually in the broadcast mood with my brother John because he was doing radio. I had had a back injury and you know, I had that sciatic nerve problem, so I couldn't skate. So we went into that game and I sat up at the broadbent cast booth with him for that whole 7 hours or how long it took. It was phenomenal.
[00:12:44] Speaker B: You know, you also. You mentioned. You broadcast. You also broadcasted for the Panthers for a time. And that was the time when the Panthers were really not a great organization. But now you see what they did. They got to the cup final last year. They won it just a couple weeks ago.
What is it about the organization different that do you see now than when you were there?
[00:13:03] Speaker F: Well, I think, you know, the management was terrific right from the beginning. When you consider Bill Tory, you had Roger Nielsen as the head coach. You know this. And then he having an ownership that was committed to trying to make it work. So in 1993, the team started without a lot of expectations. Then already by 96, his team was in the Stanley Cup Finals, if one could believe it, and losing to Peter Forsberg and the Colorado Avalanche. I think it was a great accomplishment and maybe, you know, the greatest first three years in the NHL, I think, other than us, the Islanders, I think.
[00:13:43] Speaker B: Yeah, but how has the game changed? It seems the game is a lot faster. You don't, obviously, the goon. The goon stuff is gone, basically, but it's a faster game. Hey, would you have loved to play it in a time when you didn't have to worry about a two line pass?
[00:13:58] Speaker F: That would have been unbelievable. With Mike Bossi and Ryan Trachea? I could make that pass. You know, it would have been unfair for the other teams.
[00:14:08] Speaker B: Dennis, I appreciate a few minutes. Congratulations on this honor, and I'm glad you don't. You didn't hold it against me to talk to me about the percent of a flight.
Thank you.
[00:14:18] Speaker E: Staying on the Islanders theme, my next guest is Ed Westfall, who played from 1961 to 1979. His career began with the Boston Bruins in 1961. He won a couple of Stanley Cups with the Bruins in 1970 and 1972 and he was on the ice for Bobby. Or his goal in the 1970 final against the St. Louis Blues that won in the cup in overtime for the Bruins. And after the 71 72 season, he was left unprotected in the expansion draft. The New York Hours. Atlanta Flames were coming in that season and the hour's selected Westfall. He was their first team captain. He scored the team's first goal. He was their first all star. And he scored one of the most important goals in franchise history. Game seven of the NHL quarterfinals in 1975. He scored the only goal of that game seven one nothing victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins, which completed a comeback from a three nothing series deficit. It was only a second time in NHL history that had happened. Then after every tired. He went into the broadcast booth was an analyst on what was then sports channel New York, which is now known as MSG SNdE. He worked a long time with Jiggs McDonald. So here's my conversation with Ed Westphal.
[00:15:35] Speaker B: Well, I. Congratulations on the honor of being inducted in New York State Hockey hall of Fame. What does it mean to you?
[00:15:39] Speaker A: Well, it means a lot.
Let's see, New York State, Long island specifically, has been home now for 52 years. So to be recognized in New York state for my contributions, I'm overwhelmed.
I have a rink named after me out in Riverhead area, and that's very special. And so this going along with it, it's been a very exciting couple of years.
[00:16:09] Speaker B: You've had an incredible long career. Boston Bruins, New York Islands. Let's start with the Bruins. When you started out, the Bruins were not that good, but they eventually got good. They got some guy named Bob Yore and then Philip Pseudo comes in trade and then you win the cup in 1970. You were on the ice for that. For that goal by war. Yeah, talk about that.
[00:16:27] Speaker A: I think I got an assist on it, but that goal in particular.
Yeah, no one ever asked Harry Sinden with all of the firepower that that team had with Esposito, Hodge, Cashman and Stanfield, Busick and McKenzie, they started Sanderson, Westfall and Wayne Carlton and it didn't take long. And, yeah, I passed it to Sanderson going deep into the end zone and. Or headed for the net, as he often did, and he flipped it to him and it was in.
[00:17:01] Speaker B: What was the celebration like? We see. We see it's going nuts and fans and all that stuff.
[00:17:07] Speaker A: Well, you know, it's a different celebration in the cup back then.
At the time, of course, it's the same because, you know, it's a long season, it's a long playoff, although today it's four. Four series. Then it was only three. But anyway, yeah, it's. And when it's your first one. And no one on that team had ever won a cup before, so that. That was really exciting. You know, you grow up. As we watched in this wonderful induction ceremony for the New York State Hockey hall of Fame and all the coaches and players and stuff, that. And a lot of people don't make it, but for us, that did make it and then win the cup. It's really the epitome.
[00:17:47] Speaker B: 1972, you win the cup again. But that's either turbulent time in pro hockey. The World Hockey association starting expansions, coming to the NHL with Atlanta and New York, Iowa. The Bruins lose some key players. Jerry Cheevers goes to Cleveland. Derek Sanders and John McKenzie go to Philadelphia at the Blazers. New England Whalers. What were you thinking? Because you think, oh, I'm going to be here brewing for life. These guys are going, I'm in good shape. You left unprotected?
[00:18:14] Speaker A: Yeah. And I found out from the customs and immigration people in Logan airport that I wasn't a bruin anymore. I had finally been able to take my parents and go to England, Scotland and Ireland. My mother was born in Glasgow, Scotland. She hadn't been back there in 52 years. So I took them over, and on our way back, we landed at Logan, and the customs and immigration officer said, ed, we'll never forgive them for what they did to you. I said, what?
I saw my kids over there in the glass waiting for me to come see them, and they're all crying. I said, well, that's a great reception.
[00:18:53] Speaker B: When you got to long island, obviously, it's, even though it's New York, you're still off, away from the city. What was that like when you first got there?
[00:19:00] Speaker A: Well, no, it's, you know, it was, first of all, I didn't know where Long island was, so I had to find that. But no. Roy bow, the owner of the team, and Bill Tory, who had drafted me, I met with them a couple of times, and they made me feel very good about it and what they were going to try and accomplish. They knew that they didn't have much of a hockey team. And we talked about that, and it turned out that they were right. But anyway, yeah, it was to build something, and did I want to buy in to help build it? And I said, okay. When I had finally got over my funk and feeling sorry for myself and Matt at the Bruins, then I said, okay, then let's do it. Yeah.
[00:19:40] Speaker B: You only won twelve games that year. And being a Flyers fan, I was in the spectrum tonight. The Flyers scored eight goals in the second period. I catch you guys.
[00:19:47] Speaker A: Don't remind me. I forgot all that. Select a memory. Come on, Kenny.
[00:19:52] Speaker B: But then Al Arbor comes along, you improve by seven wins in 73, 74. Then really, things start to get going. In 74, 75, you make the playoffs. You have that incredible three game series against the Rangers, winning overtime. JP Parisi, the goal, 11 seconds in overtime. What was that like to beat the Rangers in Madison? Square garden.
[00:20:10] Speaker A: Yeah. Well, actually, before that, we won our last regular season game against the Rangers, and we got in by one point, and they were seated number one, and we were eight, and no one ever gave us a chance. We were just cannon fodder, you know, for the Rangers. But we surprised. That's. Life is about surprises. Yeah.
[00:20:31] Speaker B: Then you go on to play the Penguins. You're down three nothing in that series. You come back to three three go to game seven in Pittsburgh. You scored the only goal to win it. What was that like to accomplish that? The only, at that time, the only second, the second team in NHL history to accomplish this defeat.
[00:20:45] Speaker A: Very good, Ken. You did your homework. Anyway. Yeah, that was. That was something else.
We kept believing in ourselves. And we boil it down like every team does in these days, one shift at a time, and, you know, one game at a time, and it worked out. And then. And then something that most people don't know is that when the game was over, I mean, let's see, I was 35 years old, and we'd had a long season, emotional. And then we'd had the ranger emotional playoff, and then we just had seven games of emotion and physical play. And so when the game was over, I'm sitting in the dressing room, and I'm just kind of soaking it all in. We'd celebrate a little bit. The players had all showered and gone, and there was only the two trainers and me sitting in the dressing room, and they came over and said, hey, ed, what you're gonna get? I said, oh, my God, they're all gone. So I showered, changed, walked out, and sil ap's one of the players for the Pittsburgh Penguins. He and his wife Annie, were on their way out of the building. I said, eddie, what are you doing? Where's all your teammates? I said, I don't know. They've gone. Well, what are you gonna do? I said, I don't know. They're all gone somewhere. He said, come with us. So I spent the night till the sun came up with the Pittsburgh Penguins.
[00:22:05] Speaker B: Well, then the next round of semifinals, you go across the state to Philadelphia to play this defending Stanley cup champion Philadelphia Flyers.
[00:22:11] Speaker A: We scared hell out of you, didn't we?
[00:22:13] Speaker B: Well, for the first two games, you didn't have to face Bernie Perrott. Bernie got injured in a pregame warm ups in game one, and he got. Took a puck off the knee of deep by a shot by Gary Dornheifers. He playing against Wayne Stevenson. You win those two, the fires win those two games, and they make it three in a row. Up and now, and then, and then here you go again. You come back to make it three. Game three, game seven.
[00:22:33] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:22:34] Speaker B: Kate Smith comes out.
[00:22:35] Speaker A: Oh, yeah.
[00:22:36] Speaker B: And then after she's done, you have a bouquet of flowers. I give her. What was that? What was that like?
[00:22:40] Speaker A: There was a story about that, too.
We went in after the warm ups. We're in the dressing room and, you know, 7th game, we've done it before, you know, let's do it again. Yada dada. Nobody wants to be the weak link in the chain. Come on, guys, make every shift, every shift. And somebody knocked on the door and one of the ushers had come. Trainer opened the door and here's the usher with a big bouquet of flowers.
So it was for Jerry Hart, one of our single guys. So he's got the flowers, he's looking at the card. I said, hardy, what are you going to do with the flowers? I said, I don't know. I'm not going to eat them. I said, he said, I don't even know who they're from. I said, good, give me. I said, okay, you knuckleheads, here's what we're going to do. I'm going to take this. When the lights go down, Kate Smith's going to be standing there with the organist Singod bus America. Because they knew that Philadelphia did this when they thought they were in trouble. So I said, I'm going to go up, present her with the flowers and you knuckleheads are going to come in behind me and everyone here going to thank her for what she does for hockey.
So we do.
So we lose the 7th game about a week later. Merv Griffith used to have a show in the afternoon out of Philly.
[00:23:51] Speaker B: Mike Douglas murders, murders out in California. The Mike Douglas show was in Philly.
[00:23:58] Speaker A: Okay, yeah, stand correct. I'll look it up.
Anyway, she's on the show and they're talking about her and a connection with hockey. And so she says, man, someone's really been bothering me.
Islanders are playing Philadelphia, 7th game. Da da da da.
She said, I almost couldn't sing. She said, the lights go down and all of a sudden, out of nowhere, here comes the handsome captain of the New York Islanders, and he's got a bow, a bouquet of flowers, a big bouquet of flowers.
And for the life of me, I don't know how he knew my favorite flower was a chrysanthemum.
[00:24:38] Speaker G: That's funny.
[00:24:39] Speaker B: That's funny.
Yeah. The hours started to get better, but they just couldn't get over that hump because she retired in 1979. They win the cup the following year in 80.
Did you sense, even though you weren't a part of the team, did you sense there was pressure on that team going into that season?
[00:24:56] Speaker A: Oh, yeah, it was pressure every year. But the two seasons before that, I thought our team was poised in a very good position to go for the cup then, but obviously we weren't.
But the next season, you know, they still had that, but, you know, they had all matured a couple more years. Players that hadn't been in those positions of playing under those circumstances were now in that position because of the 78, 79 season. And so they were, they were ready. Yeah.
[00:25:29] Speaker B: Now you won't go in the broadcast booth and, you know, you work with Jigs and Donald for a long time. What was it like working with Jigs?
[00:25:34] Speaker A: No, no, Jigs was wonderful. I hired him. Yeah, he was. Yeah, he was a kid running around with a tape recorder and he did games up in Ontario that my two brothers, two of my brothers played hockey and he used to pretend he was foster Hewitt or somebody, and he was doing the games, playing them back and having that analyzed, but, yeah, and then Jiggs, he was hired by Jack Hancood in the expansion in 67. And he went to LA and he was there until 72.
He went to Atlanta, and then when Atlanta was going to go to Calgary, he didn't want to go back to Canada and Calgary, so he put in the Islanders. We were looking for changing the broadcast. And so I saw his name on the list and he had a tape. I said, hire him. He said, well, wait, we haven't heard the tape. Said, don't matter, hire him. I was the boss.
I said, hire him. How do you know that? I said, because I've known him since he was a little boy and I know what his career has been with LA and Atlanta.
[00:26:43] Speaker B: You guys formed a great combination there for a long time. I was a lot of fun to watch when, I mean, I've been up here since 1990 to be able to watch you guys, what was then sports channel New York, which is now MSG, Sm. But final question for you, I mean, this day and age, weight hockey, the playoffs go into late June now and really not much of an off season. What the Islanders did, can that ever be replicated? We've seen that now. The Penguins win back to back a couple of times in Tampa Bay, won back to back. But can we ever see a team in the way this playoffs structure win.
[00:27:15] Speaker A: Four in a row?
I think under the structure it's in today. It would be extremely difficult to say it can't be done. That would be. No, but I would say it would be very difficult in the. In the structure of the NHL today, where free agency and, you know, you lose those kinds of players. You remember the islanders. I mean, other than taking one or two players here and there, they stayed, the nucleus stayed together. So to build that nucleus and keep it together and then just work with the fringe players is just almost impossible, because one of those. Two of those, whatever they are, the nucleus players, they get an offer that they can't refuse, and they're gone.
[00:27:57] Speaker B: Ed, appreciate it. Congratulations, and thank you very much for talking to Flyers fan.
[00:28:02] Speaker A: Not a problem, but hockey fans.
Thanks, Ken.
[00:28:07] Speaker E: We're going to go stay in New York with the Rangers, and we're going to talk with Sam Rosen, the voice of the Rangers on MSG and network television. Sam has been doing it since 1984, has been doing it at an excellent level for a long time. And, of course, he took over for a legendary broadcaster, Jim Gordon, who also called the New York Giants. On radio, Sam discussed how Jim mentored him and talked about some of the highlights of his career. So here's my conversation with Sam Rosen.
[00:28:39] Speaker B: Sam, congratulations on the honor of being inducted to the New York State Hockey hall of Fame. What does that mean to you?
[00:28:44] Speaker C: A great honor. Anytime I. You're recognized for the work you've done. For as long as I've been in this business, this great career that I've had, and people notice it and say thank you for what you've done, you can't be more proud than I am that New York State Hockey hall of Fame says, you know, you've been something, done something extra special, and I really appreciate that, and it just.
It makes it all worthwhile. You realize that all the effort and the time you spent in time away from your family, dedication to your career has been worth it when people take notice.
[00:29:32] Speaker B: You mentioned Jim Gordon in your speech. He was a mentor to you. Also the voice of the Rangers on television, also the Rovere radio voice, the New York Giants. What was it like taking over for him on the Rangers broadcast?
[00:29:43] Speaker A: Me?
[00:29:43] Speaker B: Was there any pressure because the fans were so probably used to Jim Gordon?
[00:29:48] Speaker C: It wasn't so much pressure as it was personally. It was difficult because he had done so much for me in my career starting, but I was still in college when I met him at W I n S, when he was the morning anchormande at the all news station. But while he was doing that, he was working at Madison Square Garden Network, he was doing Knicks games, then Rangers games, and no one helped me more than Jim.
But when they came to me, the people at Madison Square Garden just put it in a way that, you know, it was like, we're going to make a change. If you don't accept it, we want you, but if you don't accept it, we're going to get someone else. They were determined to make a change. And when they put it that way, I felt number one for myself. I needed to take the job, but also out of respect to Jim, to show that this is the man that taught me and is handing it off to me. So it was a difficult time personally, but it was a big move professionally.
[00:31:01] Speaker B: When did you feel comfortable in the job?
[00:31:03] Speaker C: Well, I think I've always felt good right away because I had been there part time for several years. I signed my first full time contract in 1982. And then by 19, 1984, when they asked me to do the tv, I was, I was ready for it.
[00:31:28] Speaker B: Of course, you mentioned a lot of great partners over here, starting with Phil Esposito. Then I think the great one was with John Davidson for 20 years. And you guys got to call the Stanley cup final in 1994 and your call and it's. The waiting is over. New York Rangers won a Stanley cup and this one will last a lifetime. Did you think of that call prior to the game or does this come naturally? No.
[00:31:51] Speaker C: You know, honestly, before game five, I thought of more calls. The Rangers were up three one in the series. Then they lost games five and six. Now it's a seven game series. So you have an idea of things you might want to touch on. But the way the game unfolded at the end, there were two icings. So it was, you know, that moment was, didn't happen right away. And then finally the puck is dropped and it's over.
[00:32:23] Speaker B: I think Kevin Collins wanted to drive because I don't think that last, the.
[00:32:27] Speaker C: Second one wasn't because Brown, the defenseman for Vancouver, slowed down, but, you know, that's the way it went.
[00:32:35] Speaker B: Of course, now you look back on it, that was the final year of a regional television network to be able to call the cup final because Fox and the ESPN got the rights. Do you feel, I mean, how, how much do you think about that now? You're the last regional guy to call Stanley cup final.
[00:32:53] Speaker C: I feel fortunate, but understand, I mean, that's the nature of the business. The networks pay a lot of money to get the rights and as it went along, they wanted more and more exclusivity. So even now, like MSG Network and regional networks, you can do games in the first round. But that's it. So it's, it's difficult you, because you want to do the games, but you understand that's the nature of the business.
[00:33:21] Speaker B: Rangers had a great year with president's trophy champion but came up short in the Eastern Conference final against the eventual Stanley cup champion Florida Panthers. What do you think the Rangers need to do to get to the finals next year and win it?
[00:33:34] Speaker C: There's such parody in the league. I think they're in the mix.
It's a solid team. The core of the team has been kept together. Great goaltending.
They've handled. They've had some good drafts. They've got some prospects coming in.
Brennan Othman, a former first round pick. Gabriel Perot, another first round pick, maybe a year or two away. So they've got, they've got the makings of a solid team. They've got good young talent. They've got good veteran talent. They've kept that corps together to give them another shot, and I think they'll be right in the mix.
[00:34:16] Speaker B: Well, Phyllis Fuzzino became a general manager. John Davidson became a general manager. When does Joe Michele become a general manager? I don't know.
[00:34:23] Speaker C: He could be. I will tell you this, he is so knowledgeable about players and the league. He could be a general manager, but Joe has done a great job in the booth. We're starting our 19th season together this fall, so I like him just where he is.
[00:34:42] Speaker B: How many more years you want to do this?
[00:34:43] Speaker C: You know what my heart says do it forever. But there are other considerations. So it's just, it's a year to year thing.
There are travel issues. You always worry about health issues that could arise. So the most important thing is just do it and then see where it goes.
[00:35:06] Speaker B: Sam Rosen, congratulations again. Thanks for doing this.
[00:35:08] Speaker C: Thank you so much.
[00:35:11] Speaker E: Finally, it's Mike Urusioni. And what can you say that hasn't been said already about this legendary hockey player?
He captained the USA hockey team in 1980 to the gold medal and the miracle on ice, scored the game winning goal against the Soviet Union on that Friday night in Lake Placid, the final weekend of the Olympics in Lake Placid, and it was not the gold medal game. Hope to talk about that. What? And they'll talk how this victory still resonates 44 years later. And it's incredible. And they showed highlights of the game during the banquet on Saturday and it's emotional. I mean, I shed a tear. I'm not gonna, I'm not gonna, you know, lie about that. It's, it's, it's still, I was a junior in high school when that happened, and that was just an amazing moment and amazement for hockey and for hockey in the United States. And it really, really started the growth of hockey here in this country. So here's my conversation with Mike Arrizioni.
[00:36:14] Speaker B: Well, Mike, it's an honor to have you here at the interview. First of all, congratulations on your induction in New York State Hockey hall of Fame. How much of an honor is that?
[00:36:22] Speaker G: It's a great honor. Anytime people recognize your accomplishments, or in our case, even our team's accomplishments, and then you see all the other names of the other athletes that are involved and have been inducted. It's pretty special.
[00:36:33] Speaker B: It's been 44 years since you scored that goal against the Soviet Union in the Olympics. That whole game still resonates to this day.
Does that please you? And how surprisingly that still, you know, people keep talking about it.
[00:36:46] Speaker G: Well, again, I think it's just a great tribute to our team and what we did, but I think, you know, we just take great pride in realizing that it was a moment that touched the country in such a positive way. It was more than an athletic event. You know, it wasn't like the islanders winning or the Rangers or the Bruins or, you know, the New York jets. It was a country. And I think, you know, we just take great pride in that. And then, you know, young kids now, because they've seen the movie miracle, they know our story. I go to my grandkids hockey games, and all these eight, nine, and ten year old kids know who I am and who my teammates are.
[00:37:18] Speaker B: Yeah, you mentioned at that time the United States was not in a great way. The economy was bad. There was a hostage situation in Iran.
Did you guys know what you mean? The impact to that? Maybe that would help more with the victory.
[00:37:34] Speaker G: We had no idea. We had no clue. The world was watching. You know, there was only three tv stations then. There was no Twitter or Facebook or social media. So we were in a little village in Lake Placid and knew the people in Lake Placid were excited. And obviously calling my family back home, I knew they were excited, but we had no idea the country was reacting the way they were.
[00:37:54] Speaker B: And of course, the game was not shown live on ABC. You guys played in the late afternoon, and that was like news, the news time. Nobody's going to interrupt the news program. So it was on tape. Delay it. Maybe some people may have known the result, but did you guys know, did you guys actually get the chance to watch the game after you?
[00:38:12] Speaker G: White I didn't. I got grabbed by ABC to do some interviews, and most of my teammates went back to the house where their parents were staying and watched the game. But I hadn't seen it. Well, I've only seen it maybe three times since 1980, so would have been fun to watch it then, but I haven't seen it since.
[00:38:30] Speaker B: What did you see on that goal?
[00:38:32] Speaker G: I saw the left corner or the right corner. I was coming this way and I had the defenseman in front of me, and I was going to use him as a screen.
When it left my stick, I thought I was in. It was in, but I kind of pulled it because I was going across my body. And then I saw the crowd go behind the net, jump up, and that's when I knew it went in, and I thought we got the lead.
[00:38:52] Speaker B: Of course, you ended up winning that game. Al Michaels call. Do you believe in miracles? Yes. Of course, that was not the gold medal game. He saw another game to go against Finland. The way the tour was worked differently back then, as opposed to now, where you actually have a medal round, which he didn't have back in 1980. So you're going up against Finland. It was a little bit of a struggle. What did her Brooks tell you guys? You can say, you can use your language to her Brooks.
[00:39:16] Speaker G: No, but he didn't say much before the game. But when we lose in two to one goal in the third, that's when he said, if you lose this game, you'll take it to your bleep and grave. Then he stopped. He pointed his finger and he said, you bleep and grave. But we knew it. I mean, we knew the extent of the game. And it's funny, I talk to people all the time. Everybody talks about the soviet game, the soviet game. But if we don't beat Finland, you and I aren't having this conversation today. So the Finland game was the biggest game for us.
[00:39:41] Speaker B: What was the medal ceremony like? Obviously, national anthem being played. Then you call your teammates up.
[00:39:48] Speaker G: Well, there's no greater feeling than to be on the podium and see your flag being risen just a little higher. Like I said before, it's not a World Series or a Stanley cup. It's, it's the United States and great pride in representing your country, having that opportunity. I've said many times, other than serving in the military or being a police officer or a firefighter, there's nothing greater than putting on a USA jersey.
[00:40:09] Speaker B: That was a little research leading up to this. I didn't realize you played in minor league hockey before the Olympics. How did you manage to get the amateur status back?
[00:40:19] Speaker G: I never had a pro contract. I was paid every two weeks. It was kind of like, well, it was an amateur contract, basically. They could have cut me at any time. So I didn't have any guarantee. So every two weeks I got, I think, $600 something with not a lot of money, trust me. But, you know, in those days, you know, the international League, you were allowed to have what they would call amateur players, and that's what I was doing then.
[00:40:40] Speaker B: I also know you played six games in my hometown with the Philadelphia Firebirds in the America, I believe. What was that like playing in Philly?
[00:40:45] Speaker G: It was fun, you know, in Philly, I actually was almost ready to sign down there, and I was told if I played one more game, I'd have been considered a professional. So I thought, why not go back to Toledo and try out, hopefully try out the Olympic team.
[00:40:59] Speaker B: What were the tryouts like? Because, you mean you got guys from Boston, guys from Minnesota, and obviously two hockey hotbeds, two rivalry hotbeds at that. I.
[00:41:07] Speaker G: At that time, well, the Massachusetts team didn't want me. I ended up playing on the art lodge team, which a bunch of guys from all different parts of the country. But, you know, it was a tournament. It was a two week tournament against each other. They divided us up into four teams. There wasn't team Minnesota. There was a team Massachusetts, and the other two were at large teams. And we competed against each other over two weeks. And Ferb evaluated the practices and the games, and that's how the team was selected.
[00:41:32] Speaker B: What was her Brooks like and what made him decide you'd be the captain?
[00:41:36] Speaker G: You know, Herb was like my college hockey coach, Jack Parker. He was like my high school football coach, my high school baseball coach. You know, that's how coaches coached in the seventies and eighties. Hard nosed, tough, disciplined, kept coaches. And you deal with it, you know, that's just the way it was. It wasn't all of a sudden I'm playing under a guy that I'd never played under before. But the thing about her was we had tremendous respect for her, and we tried. And if you respect and trust your coach, you know, you're in a good.
[00:42:02] Speaker B: Position after the Olympics, you decide that was your hockey career. Why?
[00:42:07] Speaker G: I just thought it was time to move on, you know, it's not like he has $20 million. I think I'll play. You know, I was 25 years old. There was no doubt in my mind I would have played. I would have been a three, four year player. I kind of compared myself sometimes to a Johnson Ellie or Steve Casper, you know, good team player, good penalty killer, good 3rd 4th line player. But at the time I just thought it was, you know, move on and do something else for your life.
[00:42:33] Speaker B: Yeah, but a lot of those guys did play in the NHL. Ken tomorrow ends up winning four Santa Cups. Unfortunately he's not here because he play situation. But you look at some of those guys, how proud are you of those guys making it into the NHL?
[00:42:45] Speaker G: They were great players. I mean they're a hell of a lot better than people thought. I mean Neil Broughton was 18 years old. Look what he did in his career. Mike Ramsey was 18 years old. Kenny Morrow four Stanley Cups Ramsey Christian 1718 years in the National Hockey League. So we clearly had some pretty good hockey players on that team that people didn't know. And I work at Boston University, I'm around the college hockey program. Our team in 1980 Olympics would be the youngest team in college hockey today.
[00:43:13] Speaker B: You'll see a union team I cover in October there.
College hockey back then was not really considered great. Nobody really took it seriously. But now you look at it, it's a whole different aspect. Did that 1980 really change things a little bit?
[00:43:28] Speaker G: I think 1980 opened the door for not only college players, but for Americans. I firmly believe Americans weren't given a great opportunity prior to 1980. Look at the NHL rosters. There weren't that many Americans on any teams, been only a couple. And you can't tell me there weren't some great players from the United States that could play. So I think it opened the eyes of a lot of people.
[00:43:49] Speaker B: I think the Flyers are the last team to have an all canadian team, no college players when they won their second cup in 75.
[00:43:55] Speaker G: Well, you watch the college game, look where these players are. Look at how many college hockey players, canadian and american, are now in the National Hockey League. And you think about it, why wouldn't you want to go to college? And if you don't make it, you got a college degree to fall back on. So. And then the competition in college hockey is awfully good. The players are awfully good.
[00:44:12] Speaker B: How much college hockey changed since you played?
[00:44:14] Speaker G: Oh, drastic. The game of hockey's changed. I mean they're bigger, they're faster, they're stronger, they're better. Look at, I mean, you look at Conor McDavid, I mean he's at a. I've never seen anybody play like that. And I've watched a lot of hockey over him over the years. And you look at the size of the players, Austin Matthews 656467, Zidane, Ochara 610. You never played against anybody that big and they all can play.
[00:44:36] Speaker B: And again, didn't seem fast. Man, I look at the old tapes of the seventies, you know, the tags are out there, made a two minute shifts and it wasn't a fast thing. Of course you had to, at least in the NHL you had the two line offside patch still, which they don't have anymore. But it just seems like game has gotten faster and it's gotten away from the goonery of the seventies.
[00:44:53] Speaker G: The speed of the game is incredible. And then you got the influx of the Europeans. You never had those players playing before. And the game has grown so much. You got players coming out of Texas, Arizona, California, St. Louis, Florida. You never saw that. So the game has grown, not only the men's game, the women's game has grown to another level as well. So hockey's in a good spot. And the other thing I was telling Sean McDonough this, the broadcaster of all the sports, the biggest change in any position is the position.
Goaltenders are so much better now than they were years ago. They're 6566. If you have 510 final eleven, they don't even look at you anymore. You know, quarterbacks have changed a little, wide receivers maybe, but goaltending has been the biggest change in my opinion in any sport around.
[00:45:42] Speaker B: Well, let me ask you about the goal setting. Obviously it's changed a lot of butterfly style to me though. So 6768 goaltenders, they go down, they still end up leaving some opening. I mean, the stand up goalie is dead basically at this time.
[00:45:53] Speaker G: You got to find those openings and there's not much room out there. And not only is there not much room, there's not much time.
[00:46:00] Speaker B: Mike, I appreciate it. Congratulations again and thank you. It's an honor.
[00:46:03] Speaker G: Thanks for having me. Thank you.
[00:46:05] Speaker B: And that will do it for this edition of the podcast. Thank you for listening to this special edition and appreciate Dennis Potman, Mike Carusioni, Sam Rosen and Ed Westmorelandhouse for coming on the podcast. Have another podcast coming up in the middle of the week. On Wednesdays specifically, Michael Gaddaf, our Gazette horse racing rider, will join me for his at the track with Max segment. We'll look back at week one of the Sarto horse racing season. I look ahead to week two and then Associate Press NHL writer Stephen Winer will join me. We'll talk about the season that just completed, then Florida's run to the Stanley Cups champion. So tune in later this week. The views expressed in the Pawnee Shots podcast are not necessarily those of the Daily Gazette Company. The party Shots podcast is a production of the Daily Gazette Company. I'm Daily Gazette sports editor Ken Schott. Thanks for listening, and I'll catch you next time from the Hilton Garden Inn in Troy, New York. Good day.
[00:47:00] Speaker E: Good hockey.
